Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Added C4-Alcohols On The Structure Of Microemulsion Droplets Measured By Small-Angle Neutron Scattering., Elvis A. Zambrano

Theses

The role of C₄-alcohols (n-butanol, 2-butanol and tert-butanol) in four component microemulsions is studied using neutron scattering. These microemulsions are dispersions of nanoscale droplets consisting of a core of water surrounded by a surfactant-stabilized shell. The particles are suspended in an oil (octane) continuum. The addition of a co-surfactant, such as a short-chain alcohol, modifies the droplet size and structure, as well as the rigidity of the surrounding shell. In this work, we investigate water-in-oil microemulsions employing small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments performed at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. Using this technique, it is possible to probe …

Neurodevelopmental Models Of The Heterogeneous Syndrome Of Schizophrenia, Gwen Decelles

Theses

Not included.

Active Barrier Packaging: Extending The Product Life Of Orange Juice Packaged In Gable Top Cartons, Ann Marie Kenback Chuprevich

Theses

Providing a package that can actively participate in prolonging the product shelf life of orange juice adds value, both financially and nutritionally, to the product and to the package. The code date and shelf life of orange juice is in part determined by the ability of the product to maintain the level of vitamin C as stated on the nutritional label. Vitamin C deteriorates in the presence of oxygen; therefore, removal of oxygen from the package will decelerate the process of oxidation thereby diminishing the loss of vitamin C and prolonging the quality of the orange juice. The refrigerated shelf …

Realm Of Possibilities: The Portrayal Of Women In Futuristic Science Fiction Movies, Aru Basu

Theses

This study examines the portrayal of women in 50 science-fiction films produced in the U.S. The method was content analysis and the unit of analysis was the film scene. Presentations of women were analyzed by examining demographic variables and behavioral traits. For a further insight, comparisons have been made between older women (40 years and above) and younger women (below 40 years) and between "human" women and "other" women. This study reveals that there are few differences with previous studies undertaken on portrayal of women. Overall, women in the sciencefiction future have not been portrayed in a significantly different way …

Policy Options To Enhance Technology Diffusion: Modeling The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential Of Solid-State Lighting, Amanda Slocum

Theses

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is an emerging technology that is projected to provide substantial energy savings over conventional lighting sources by 2025. There is a growing concern over the consequences of climate change, largely attributed to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2; a greenhouse gas) from fossil fuel combustion. Currently fossil-fuel combustion accounts for 70% of electricity produced in the U.S., and end-use lighting applications alone consume approximately one-fifth of this electricity. Therefore, replacing conventional lighting sources with energy-efficient SSL has the potential to significantly reduce electricity consumption which can in turn reduce CO2 emissions. However, previous research has shown there …

The Implementation Of Homeland Security Efforts In Response Organizations: Monroe County, New York Case Study, Heather M. Savage

Theses

The events from 9/11 have prompted many changes in American society. Perhaps the biggest change can be seen in the Emergency Response field. The initial response to the events of 9/11 was a huge push at readying responders for future attacks. However, it can now be seen throughout the response community that the initial emphasis on terrorism readiness has turned into complacency and that the goal of fully preparing each responder has not yet been attained. There are many factors preventing the physical and mental preparation of each Emergency Responder and these factors range from lack of funding to lack …

Low Frequency Noise Modeling In Single- And Double-Gate Mosfets, Shailesh S. Rai

Theses

The Flicker or 1// noise dominates the noise spectrum at low frequency. A serious concern for MOSFETs for circuit application is much higher flicker (1//) noise because of the heterogeneous interface between silicon (Si) and silicon dioxide (Si02). Very high intrinsic flicker noise of CMOS transistors becomes a drawback for low-Intermediate Frequency (IF) or direct-conversion architectures. In spite of extensive research and efforts to understand the low-frequency noise origin in semiconductor devices, there exists no unique theory to explain the low-frequency noise generation mechanism. Flicker noise in MOSFETs is usually perceived to be caused by carrier density fluctuations, which is …

Guiding Object Recognition: A Shape Model With Co-Activation Networks, Timothy Lebo

Theses

The goal of image understanding research is to develop techniques to automatically extract meaningful information from a population of images. This abstract goal manifests itself in a variety of application domains. Video understanding is a natural extension of image understanding. Many video understanding algorithms apply static-image algorithms to successive frames to identify patterns of consistency. This consumes a significant amount of irrelevant computation and may have erroneous results because static algorithms are not designed to indicate corresponding pixel locations between frames. Video is more than a collection of images, it is an ordered collection of images that exhibits temporal coherence, …

Structural Advances For Pattern Discovery In Multi-Relational Databases, Juveria Kanodia

Theses

With ever-growing storage needs and drift towards very large relational storage settings, multi-relational data mining has become a prominent and pertinent field for discovering unique and interesting relational patterns. As a consequence, a whole suite of multi-relational data mining techniques is being developed. These techniques may either be extensions to the already existing single-table mining techniques or may be developed from scratch. For the traditionalists, single-table mining algorithms can be used to work on multi-relational settings by making inelegant and time consuming joins of all target relations. However, complex relational patterns cannot be expressed in a single-table format and thus, …

Integration Of Micromachined Thermal Thermal Shear Stress Sensors With Microchannels - Design, Fabrication And Testing, Vinod Dilip Kulkarni

Theses

Rochester Institute of Technology, 2005 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-96) "The emerging picture of microvascular flow strongly suggests that local gradients in shear rate along the arteriole walls play an integral role in the ability of a microvascular network to regulate and modify blood flow. The methods to estimate shear stress from approximations of the velocity profiles determined by in vivo particle tracking experiments in the hamster and computational simulation are limited by assumptions made about the flow and experimental techniques. Right now, our ability to relate wall shear stress in microvessels to corresponding biological function is limited by our …

Query Engine Of Novelty In Video Streams, James Kang

Theses

Prior research on novelty detection has primarily focused on algorithms to "detect" novelty for a given application domain. Effective storage, indexing and retrieval of novel events (beyond detection) are largely ignored as a problem in itself. In light of the recent advances in counter-terrorism efforts and link discovery initiatives, the need for effective data management of novel events assumes apparent importance. Automatically detecting novel events in video data streams is an extremely challenging task. The aim of this thesis is to provide evidence to the fact that the notion of novelty in video as perceived by a human is extremely …

Effects Of Food Sources And Culture Conditions On Feeding Behaviour And Growth Rates Of Nile Tilapia Fry (Oreochromis Niloticus), Latifa Juma Rashid Al-Shamsi

Theses

The importance of fish aquaculture in general as an alternative source of animal protein, is raised during this century after the significant reduction of natural marine resources. Such reduction has increased the interest of many countries as well as international agencies in worldwide food security, especially for developing countries. The success of any aquaculture is chiefly judged by its economic development, which always depends on the management of producing acceptable marketing size and weight of fish in short time. In the last few decades, many aquacultures failed in balancing between the financial input and the resultant income. That is due …

Effect Of Some Medicinal Plants In U.A.E. On Glucose Homeostasis In Rats, Fatma Khadem Al-Ghaithi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine diseases in the world that affects almost 6% of the world population. The treatment of diabetes mellitus takes three main forms. First, diet and exercise. Secondly, insulin therapy, and thirdly, using hypoglycaemic agents (suiphonylureas and biguanides). Many of these agents are not very effective in lowering glucose level in diabetic patients and are either too expensive or have undesirable side effects and contraindications. As a result of this, the search for effective drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus continues.

Before the introduction of insulin in 1922, the treatment of diabetes …

Automated Extraction Of Disease-Gene Relationships From Medline, Jennifer R. Paine

Theses

The increasing amount of scientific information available to researchers in the form of biomedical literature is beginning to bring about a need for the development of tools to extract information automatically from these sources. One segment of information of particular interest to researchers is the linkage information between genes and diseases. These linkages can help researchers interpret large-scale genomics studies as well as make logical connections between gene expression levels and certain phenotypes. To make the finding and collecting of this information practical, automated methods of information extraction are required. In this paper, I propose a method for the automated …

Single-Phase Liquid Flow And Heat Transfer In Plain And Enhanced Silicon Microchannels, Mark Steinke

Theses

Microscale heat transfer and microfluidics have become increasingly important to overcome some very complex engineering challenges. The use of very small passages to gain heat transfer enhancement is a well documented method for achieving high heat flux dissipation. However, some interesting experimental results have caused researchers to question if the conventional theories for fluid flow and heat transfer are valid in the microscale passages. However, there is no significant physical basis for the discrepancies with singlephase liquid flows when the passage is scaled to the microscale. The present work identifies the sources of the discrepancies reported in literature and provides …

The Establishment, Management And Evaluation Of The Conservation Reserve System In The Rangelands Of Western Australia, Anthony Brandis

Theses

The rangelands of Western Australia cover about 85% of the State and include the sub-tropical savanna of the Kimberley, the semi arid and arid spinifex, the southern mulga shrublands and the extensive chenopod plains of the Nullarbor. About 40% of the rangelands are managed for the production of meat and wool under a pastoral lease system. A large range of ecosystems occurs within these pastoral leases where, after a relatively short period of time, many changes to native flora and fauna populations have occurred. Biological diversity in the rangelands is declining most noticeably with the extinction, or reduction in the …

Fine Mapping Of Sequences Important For Fiv Rna Packaging And Their Mechanism Of Function, Akela Ahmed Mohamed Ghazawi

Theses

The mechanism by which retroviruses preferentially encapsidate their unspliced genomic RNA among millions of both spliced viral and cellular mRNAs in the cytoplasm represents a function of great specificity. This selection process requires that the genomic RNA contain packaging determinants unique to its own RNA that can interact specifically with the packaging proteins of the viral particles, the Gag polyproteins. Knowing the exact sequences involved in packaging should provide basic insights into the mechanism of preferentially encapsidating the full length genomic RNA.

We have been interested in mapping the packaging determinants of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lentivirus that …

The Evidence For A Nascent Biotechnology Cluster In Cork, John W. Hobbs

Theses

Over the past 30 years, encouraged by Ireland’s low rate of corporation tax (currently 12.5 %), and active promotion of FDI by the IDA, foreign owned pharmaceutical plants have set up and multiplied in the Cork area. To Ireland’s advantages of a low tax rate, an English speaking population, a pro-business environment and membership of EU, Cork offered the added attractions of a deepwater port and large natural harbour, good freight connections, an international airport, an educated workforce and excellent sporting and leisure facilities for sailing, golf, etc. (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Schering Plough have …

Exploring Marine Biotoxins Using Analytical Techniques Based On Mass Spectrometry, Mónica Fernández Amandi

Theses

The impact of phycotoxins on human and animal health is of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Domoic acid (DA) is a neurotoxin produced by phytoplankton {Pseudonitzchia spp.). It enters the food chain through the consumption of shellfish that feed on toxic diatoms. DA has been responsible for several outbreaks affecting humans and animals all around the world. Yessotoxin (YTX) is produced by dinoflagellate species {Protoceratiuni reticulatum) which are globally distributed. Its toxicity is low when ingested orally. However, the co-extraction of YTX with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, derives false positives when the mouse bioassay is …

An Investigation Of Techniques In Deformable Object Recognition, Gavin S. Page

Theses

The human's innate ability to process information garnered from a visual scene has no parallel in the digital realm. This task is taken for granted in human cognition, but has not been met by a complete digital solution even following years of research. This difficulty can be explained by the shear complexity of the physology of the visual pathway. Although a complete solution has not been created, there are a number of examples of solutions that address parts of the problem. The recognition of deformable objects is the area addressed in this work. The specific task researched was the recognition …

Ab Initio Calculation Of Electronic And Optical Properties Of Beryllium Chalcogenides (Bes, Bese, And Bete) Under The Effect Of Pressure, Aisha Ali Saif Bannan Al-Kaabi

Theses

There are several methods for materials simulation. Ab initio or first principles methods are used to solve the quantum mechanical equation which govern the behavior of a system. Ab initio calculation of the optical and electronic properties of solids is fundamental in solid state physics. APW+lo is used to examine different properties of BeS, BeSe and BeTe. Beryllium compounds show different features in structure under different pressures, and they also show a phase transition from Zinc blende to Hexagonal transitions in II-VI semiconductors. Little is known about the ground state properties of Beryllium Chalcogenides. The aim of this work is …

A Swarm Intelligence Based Approach To The Mine Detection Problem, Vignesh Munirajan

Theses

This research focuses on the application of swarm intelligence to the problem of mine detection. Swarm Intelligence concepts have captivated the interests of researchers mainly in collective robotics, optimization problems (traveling salesman problem (TSP), quadratic assignment problem, graph coloring etc.), and communication networks (routing) etc [1]. In the mine detection problem we are faced with sub problems such as searching for the mines over the minefield, defusing them effectively, and assuring that the field is clear of mines within the least possible time. In the problem, we assume that the mines can be diffused by the collective action of the …

Memory Fix, Christopher James Jordan

Theses

This thesis serves as the written accompaniment to the visual work comprising the exhibit: Memory Fix, examining notions of personal geography set within more generalized conceptions of place, memory and identity formation. Further, it explores the ambiguity between ways in which place is remotely documented versus intimately experienced. We live in a culture of displacement, where technologies paradoxically render far-away places more accessible, but also contribute to the distancing of the immediate and authentic. This displacement also extends to the world of image and depiction. Place-representations are emptied of original meanings and connotations through overexposure and mass circulation. Against …

Singular Value Decomposition Of Analogs Of Gbr 12909, Anna Fiorentino

Theses

Analogs of GBR 12909 are drugs that could potentially be used to treat cocaine addiction. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is a multivariate analysis technique used to show relationships between the data and the variables associated with the data. The input data consists of the conformers of each analog (DM324, 728 conformers; TP250, 739 conformers) along with the eight torsional angles (Al, A2, B1-B6). A novel scaling technique was developed to address the problem of data circularity by subtracting the values of the torsional angles of the global energy minimum conformation from those of each conformer.

In SVD the original data …

Thermal Analysis Of Poly(Desamino Arylates), Ali Cem Recber

Theses

The goal of this study is to better understand the thermal characteristics and molecular behavior of two poly(desaminotyrosyl arylates). These two polymers were chosen from a combinatorial library of polymers developed by changing the type and size of the two substitutable chain locations. TGA, DSC and TSC studies were conducted on Poly(12,10) and Poly(2,2) after the samples were exposed to various conditions. The TGA of Poly(12,10) shows low water uptake at 25° C, higher water uptake at 80°C. Water uptake for Poly(2,2) at 25°C is similar to Poly(12,10) at 80°C. The Thermally Stimulated Current analysis (TSC) results indicate a molecular …

Slimsvm : A Simple Implementation Of Support Vector Machine For Analysis Of Microarray Data, Avik Karmaker

Theses

Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a supervised machine learning technique being widely used in multiple areas of biological analysis including microarray data analysis. SlimSVM has been developed with the intention of replacing OSU SVM as the classification component of GenoIterSVM in order to make it independent of other SVM packages. GenolterSVM, developed by Dr. Marc Ma, is a SVM implementation with an iterative refinement algorithm for improved accuracy of classification of genotype microarray data. SlimSVM is an object-oriented, modular, and easy-to-use implementation written in C++. It supports dot (linear) and polynomial (non-linear) kernels. The program has been tested with artificial …

Characterization Of Mechanical Behavior Of Electrospun Non-Woven Mats, Ajitha Patlolla

Theses

Electrospinning is a simple and efficient method for the production of nanometer to micrometer fibers. While the process of electrospinning has been known for over half a century, current understanding of the process and those parameters that affect the properties of the fibers is very limited. Not much work has been done in the field electrospinning process to study the mechanical properties of nonwoven mats produced and to study parameters affecting their properties.

In the first part of this thesis electrospun nonwoven mats made of poly(lactides) solutions were characterized based on their mechanical behavior in biorelevant conditions. In the second …

Distinguishing Metaphysical From Epistemological Randomness, Andrew Michael Johnson

Theses

The term 'random' is used both popularly and in science in different senses. Randomness sometimes refers to our subjective epistemological inability to discern structure and other times to objective lack of structure in an observed phenomenon. This thesis argues that the best understanding of 'random' should be as a profitable heuristic, similar to imaginary numbers and potential infinities, under the rubric of epistemological randomness (ER). It further argues that positive claims of metaphysical randomness (MR) must be justified by both internality and indeterminacy. Internality acts as a criterion that controls for external causal influences in a given phenomenon. Indeterminacy requires …

Geochemical Studies To Assess Marine Oil Pollution Zakum Field, Abu Dhabi, Uae, Bakheet Saeed Al Katheeri

Theses

The present study aims at quantifying and assessing the organic and inorganic pollutants in the offshore sediments of the Zakum Field, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Twenty-six sampling stations were selected to cover the maximum area of the field. Sediments samples were subjected to a variety of analyses including mechanical analysis, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) analysis, twenty congeners of Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) analysis, sixteen different Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) analysis and eight heavy metals analysis. For a comparison purpose six old marine seabed core samples which collected from Zakum Filed between 1966 and 1978 were analyzed …

Assessment Of Surface Water Runoff And Groundwater Recharge Using Mathematical Models, Khaled Omer Mohamed Haroon

Theses

In arid and semi-arid regions, surface water resources are scarce and, in most cases, groundwater is the only natural resource of freshwater. Pumping of groundwater often exceeds natural recharge. Therefore, groundwater levels are declining and its quality is deteriorating. Sustainable management of groundwater is thus a key issue and requires implementation of appropriate technologies to augment groundwater resources. Artificial recharge augments the natural movement of surface water into the underground formations using some means of construction whereby surface water from streams or lakes is made to infiltrate into the ground.

The UAE is known by its arid conditions and limited …